Baby, Please Come Home
by erpbks11
Summary: Edward is in the military, and has been overseas for more than nine months. He isn't sure whether he's going to be home for Christmas, but Bella is hoping. Will he make it? One-Shot


**Hey everyone! So, this is my first FanFic ever, and I was just kind of inspired to write it. I love the Christmas song "Baby, Please Come Home", so I wrote a story for it. :D Any suggestions or reviews would be greatly appreciated!**

I sat in the large bay window in the Cullen's home, staring down at the snow falling gently. It was officially a white Christmas, as the snow had begun to layer itself on the ground. I'd always wished for a white Christmas, having lived in Arizona for most of my life. After I moved here to Forks I'd hoped for one, too, but each year I either went back to Arizona, or it rained instead.

Now that I was finally having the white Christmas that I'd always wanted, I couldn't bring myself to enjoy it. Edward had been away for just over nine months now, with very limited communication. Of course, I knew that he was doing one of the most honorable thing as he fought for our country, but I wanted him here with me. In his last letter, he had told me that that he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to make it home for Christmas or not, and even through his expressed doubt, I had spent the better part of the past few days in this very spot, hoping to see him coming up the driveway.

It was Christmas Eve now, and I still had not heard anything, or seen any sign of him. The rest of his family had lost hope for him to come home earlier this morning, but I was holding out for him. It wasn't easy to keep my hopes up, but I couldn't let myself get discouraged. He had to come home to me.

"Bella, Sweetheart, the table is set," I heard Esme's soft voice say from behind me. Soon, I felt her gentle and loving touch on my shoulder. Usually that would comfort me, especially because I missed the touch of a mother when I wasn't in my own mother, Renee's presence. I hadn't been able to see her in over a year.

"Of course, Esme. I'll be right there," I assured her as I turned around to give her a small smile. She responded with one of her brilliant smiles and hurried off to the dining room again.

I couldn't help but smile after her. I knew that she had been hoping that Edward would be able to make it home for Christmas Eve dinner as well, but I also knew that she wouldn't let it ruin her night. That was one of the things that I loved most about her. She loved each of her children, Edward, Alice, and Emmett, exactly the same, so she never let one get in the way of the rest of them. It was refreshing.

One last hopeful glance was thrown down the driveway before I stood up from my perch at the window and headed into the dining room with everyone else.

I was greeted with smiles from six of the people that I cared about most. Esme was rushing around to make sure that everything was set on the table the perfect way, while Carlisle watched her with a loving and adoring smile. Alice was bouncing around like the little pixie that she was. Jasper was sitting patiently at the table, waiting to eat and waiting for Alice to sit down next to him. Emmett had almost completely forgotten about anyone else because of the feast that was set in front of him. I knew that if Esme wouldn't have scolded him he would have already been eating, and that thought made me snicker a little bit. And Rose held a hand out to me. There was an open seat next to her and she obviously wanted me there. I didn't mind one bit.

Once Esme had everything set up and everyone was sitting down, we began to eat. I let myself enjoy the time, but the thought of Edward was always present in the back of my mind.

**Edward's POV**

The plane that I was on seemed to be the slowest one that I had ever been on. All I wanted to do was get home to my family, and especially Bella. I'd been out of regular contact with them for so long, and I had wanted to surprise all of them. Each of my past letters had been filled with false uncertainty about whether I would make it home for the holidays, even as I knew that I would.

The pilot finally announced that we would be landing shortly, so to pass the time until I could exit the plane I pulled out the last letter that I had received from my Bella, and reread it as I had so many times before.

_Edward, _

_ I miss you so much. I wish there was a way that we could communicate other than these letters that we have to write. They take so long to get to each other, and all I want is to hear your voice or see your face. _

_ Baby, please come home for Christmas. Your family has been playing Christmas music like it's going out of style, but it just doesn't feel like Christmas without you. When I hear the music, especially "Deck the Halls", I can't help but to think of all the fun that we had together last year. I want that again. _

_ I know that it's hard for you to get here, and I don't want to make you feel guilty or anything, because I know that you will if you can't make here, but I really want to spend these days with you. _

_ I've been watching the weather a lot. You know how obsessed I get around Christmas with the snow. They say that it looks like there might be a chance for a white Christmas, and while I've been wishing for one for so long, almost my whole life, I won't enjoy it as much without you. _

_ I'm eating Christmas dinner with your family. They invited me, and I couldn't say no. Besides, I knew that if you could make it home that's where you would want to spend most of your time. I didn't want to steal you away even more than I'm already going to. _

_ I really hope that you make it. God, I love you so much and I can't wait to start planning our wedding. I've been waiting for you to come home again, even though that little pixie that you call a sister has been pushing and pushing. I've stood my ground. _

_ I love you, and miss you, and worry about you each and every day. _

_ See you soon. _

_ Love, _

_ Bella. _

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face as my eyes scanned the words on the paper repeatedly. Bella was the most amazing girl that I had ever met, or had the pleasure of being with, and I couldn't wait to see her.

I had planned to be to my house before they started dinner, and preferably around noon, but the flight kept getting pushed back due to the snow, and now I was late. My last hope for a good surprise was that they were still eating when I got there, but I wouldn't find out until then.

**Bella's POV**

The Cullen's really were some of the most amazing people that I had ever met. It occurred to me after about fifteen minutes into the meal that I wasn't hiding my anxiety as well as I had hoped to, but instead of making it worse, Edward's family tried to make it easier. And they did. Most of the time they didn't have to do anything special to accomplish that, though.

I was seated in between Rose and Esme, and every once in a while if I got too spacey one of them would reach over and squeeze my leg. Alice tried to keep a light conversation about the wedding coming up between Emmett and Rose, since I wouldn't let her talk about mine. But Emmett was, by far, the most entertaining of all of them. Every time something about him and the wedding came up within the same sentence he started to grumble. It wasn't that he didn't want get married, he would just rather be kept in the dark about the details until they got there. I understood all of that.

We ate comfortably, and while it was impossible to miss that there was a person missing from the table, we were able to continue without him. We had for so long now.

When we had all finished eating, Esme brought out all of the deserts that she had made. Each one looked just as delicious as the last, and it was obvious that Emmett felt the same. His eyes were as wide as saucers. As Esme moved to sit back down beside me, the doorbell rang. She claimed she would get it, and the rest of us went on eating.

If the doorbell had rung a few hours ago, I would have been running to the door to see who it was, hoping for Edward. But by now, after waiting all day, I'd lost my hope that he would be home for any part of Christmas. So I smiled at everyone weakly and then started picking out whichever deserts I wanted.

"Please, come eat with us," I heard Esme say as she got closer to the dining room. There was no answer, so I didn't look up. By this point, I had dropped my hands into my lap and started to twist them around in each other, staring down at them. I heard whoever it was settle into the chair next to me, as Esme told them they could have that chair.

But there was something travelling between me and this person. A kind of electric current that I'd only ever felt with one person. It couldn't be him though. I lifted my head slowly to find out who it was, but was frozen when I finally did see him.

"You're here," I whispered to Edward. He had a small smile, and even a hint of a smirk, playing across his lips.

"Yes, I am here," He said, and the entire family laughed. I didn't, though. I just started to cry, and he pulled me into his arms quickly. It was the thing that I had missed the most while he had been gone. Suddenly, I felt myself being lifted from the chair and being carried away.

When I felt Edward settle down onto the couch with me in his lap, I finally lifted my wet eyes to his. "I didn't think you were going to come," I whispered. "I stayed by the window and the door all day waiting for you."

"I know, baby," He said quietly, raising his hands to brush the backs of his fingers along my cheeks. "I'm really sorry, but my flight kept getting pushed back because of the snow storms. I got here as soon as I possibly could."

I rested my head back down on his chest, a small smile etched onto my lips. "It doesn't matter," I whispered. "At least you're here."

I just wanted to lay there with him for a little bit, but obviously he had other plans as he shifted me yet again to the spot on the couch next to him.

"Bella?" He asked quietly. "I never got to do this correctly. So I was hoping that I could do it now." I frowned and opened my eyes. He was in front of me on one knee, his elbows leaning on the couch on either side of my knees. There was a small box in his hands. This night was a night full of surprises.

"I never got to propose to you in person, or give you a ring or anything. And I've been regretting that part of our agreement to get married since we made it. You deserve something better than just a question over the phone while I'm thousands of miles away.

"I love you, Bella. More than you'll ever know, because it's not something that I can put into words for you. I hope that someday I'll be able to show it to you, but this is the only thing that I can think of right now. I never want to be away from you, even though I know that I will be physically while in the military. But please, Bella, will you marry me?"

I was speechless. I'd been happy enough with saying yes over the phone, but I should have expected him to make a real proposal. That was just who he was, and it was sweet and perfect and I wouldn't have wished for anything different. "Of course I will, Edward," I whispered through a few happy tears. The smile on his face was brilliant, and he slipped the ring onto my finger before lifting me up in his arms and holding me tight.

"We're getting married!" He yelled to his family, and I laughed along with the rest of them. This was my family; where I belonged.

"And all of this on a white Christmas," I whispered near his ear. He only held me tighter while he pressed his lips to mine in a loving kiss.


End file.
